Fri, Jul 04, 2008
Jacobs Electric Electricians & Helpers Trades/Construction Pioneer Landscaping Yard Person/Loader Operator Trades/Construction Pioneer Landscaping Yard Person/Loader Operator Administrative & Professional Tucson Symphony Teleservices Sales/Courtesy Rep Health Care FRONT OFFICE Trades/Construction arizona portland cement maintenance electrician Trades/Construction Lectra-Serv, Inc Electricians & Helpers Tucson RegionRoad Runner by Andrea Kelly : Alternatives to driving sometimes not practicalTucson, Arizona | Published: 04.14.2008
I'm having a dilemma, and maybe you are, too. Gasoline prices are on the rise, with no decrease in sight. And just when gas prices make you start thinking about the bus, the city starts talking about jacking up the fares.
Now here we are in the middle of Clean Air Days, when we're supposed to try to reduce our fuel consumption.
It's a great feel-good concept. But what if we're already doing as much as we can? Sometimes that's what it feels like.
I can't car-pool, take the bus or ride my bike to work. It just doesn't work for this type of job. How about you?
My next-door cubicle neighbor, Josh Brodesky, rode his bike to work recently in the name of good health (and to impress his environmentally conscious girlfriend).
That afternoon, an unexpected assignment came up, and he rode his bike to an interview, then ended up riding it home to get his car and drive to another location.
"I was totally worried I was going to show up late and . . . blow the story. I will never ride my bike to work again," Brodesky said.
It just doesn't work for reporters. And I bet it doesn't work for a lot of you, either. Whether or not it's absolutely required, a lot of us can't be without our cars because we need them to do our job throughout the day.
Options?
Well, you can't rely on Sun Tran to take you to an off-site meeting if there's no route nearby.
And when one person in your car pool unexpectedly has to work late, is everyone else supposed to wait?
When transit takes twice as long to get you to work, are the reduced emissions worth the increased time spent?
The experts at the Pima Association of Governments say consolidate your trips. Like I don't already do that? After a certain point, though, how much more can you consolidate?
I have a car that gets good gas mileage, and I live less than six miles from my office. While some say a hybrid is a good investment for fuel consumption and the environment, how cost-effective is it for most of us?
Edmonds.com says it takes three to six years to recoup the higher cost of a hybrid — if gas prices stay over $3 a gallon and you drive 15,000 miles a year, which is farther than most of us drive. I log 6,000 miles a year.
Besides, I'm not in the market for a new car.
Rita Hildebrand, with the PAG travel-reduction program, suggests that if you've just got to drive, try doing it only when traffic congestion is light, which may mean adjusting your work schedule — assuming you can change your work hours.
Even car-pooling or taking the bus just once a week is better than nothing, she said. Now that could be a useful idea for those who have a better ability to plan their week.
"It takes a lot of planning. It does — there's no doubt about it," she said.
But the fact of the matter is, in the real world, how many of us have those options?
● Road Runner answers road-related questions in this column on Mondays. Find Road Runner plus traffic cams and other transportation news at azstarnet.com/transportation. Send your questions by e-mail to roadrunner@azstarnet.com or to P.O. Box 26807, Tucson, AZ 85726. Please include your first and last names. ● Find traffic updates and other transportation news on the Gridlocked blog, at go.azstarnet.com/gridlocked.
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